There is no pattern to who lives and who dies in war . . . In war, people die because they do. - Dr Ahmet Talzani

Page 25

We are all animals . . . special animals, but still animals. - Joaquin Morales

Page 215-216

Do you know what Pesh Merga means? It means 'those who face death'. . . I myself have never seen one face death; they all turn away at the end. - Dr Ahmet Talzani

Page 20

"If I stay too long in here, I begin killing more patients than I save." He laughed lightly. - Dr Ahmet Talzani

Page 22

We've been losing wars forever; it's what we Kurds do best . . . We are like the little guy at the bar who wants to fight all the big men. We get beaten up by one, then get up off the floor and go for another. Over and over. A lifetime of war, can you imagine? - Dr Ahmet Talzani

Page 23

Homeland. It doesn't matter what you do or even what you believe, you never escape the homeland. It always keeps you. They talk of free will, but we are all just homing pigeons in the end. - Dr Ahmet Talzani

Page 23

Ah well, these little mysteries, morbid curiosities, war is full of them. - Dr Ahmet Talzani

Page 24

Would you believe that sometimes I am so tired, or the cave is so dark, I'm not even sure of the colours I give them? Would you believe that men have been given blues, have been set aside to die, suffering from nothing more than dehydration or a broken arm? Disturbing, I know, but it's true. - Dr Ahmet Talzani

Page 25

My little tags are for them, because they need to believe there is a system. For me, I know it is all fate . . . Some live, some die, that's all. - Dr Ahmet Talzani

Page 26

Some live, some die. It's the only way to view it. Anything else is just self-torture and arrogance. Because we are not gods, none of us are gods. - Dr Ahmet Talzani